Barney's Blog

Win 8 February Non-Surprise

On Monday I reported rumors that a Win 8 beta would be out in the next few months. The rumor mongers were correct. Microsoft now says the beta will be out before shortest month of the year ends.

Microsoft made the disclosure when hyping its new Windows Store, where you'll be able to buy your fill of Metro apps.

Win 8, which is generally expected to be released late next year, still needs work according to one tester who posted on Redmondmag.com. The reader called Metro "a UI only a mother could love. The gestures and navigation need to be far more natural and intuitive. Aesthetically, the GUI's style gets worse as you scale up in screen dimensions. The UI looks flat, loud and a bit fat on a tablet."

The tester also blasted the classic look: "The classic desktop is an afterthought that is so crippled I have to continually flip back and forth between it and Metro to get just about anything done with it, a frustration that gets old very quickly. Basic functions like file management aren't Metro-friendly and shell you off to the desktop which feels wrong. Win 8 preview feels like some prototype proof-of-concept more than the working foundation of an OS that will be out in a year."

What is your experience with the Win 8 preview? Share at dbarney@redmondmag.com.